Following the heartbreaking shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., last month, Consolidated High School District 230 board members said they plan to review school safety policies in January.

"I think it never hurts to examine and redouble our efforts for safety, so I would ask that the next Building and Finance committee … we revisit procedures for visitors during the day," said board vice president Richard Nogal during a Dec. 20 meeting at Sandburg High School in Orland Park.

He also suggested that the board's Student Services committee revisit policies for evaluating student's emotional well-being as it relates to school safety.

Board member Kathy Quilty said annual student surveys show that the majority of students say they do feel safe in district schools, but she added that more specific questions about what could make them feel even safer are worth exploring.

"Sometimes, the kids have great ideas," she said.

With both the shooting in Connecticut and news that escaped bank robbers were seen in Tinley Park Dec. 18, board member Carol Baker suggested the district consider evaluating its entry door safety measures and installing panic buttons for staffers who work at security desks.

"When something like this happens, you really do think about the ability of somebody coming from the outside and being able to come in," she said.

Superintendent James Gay said the district is actually in the process of installing an alert system at its security desks that would notify school administrators of any issues arising at a visitor entrance.

Gay also recapped a safety audit completed earlier in the year for the district, which led to updating surveillance cameras, both inside and outside of the school, and door access controls.

"Providing a safe learning environment for staff and students is our priority," he said. "We have a strong relationship with local law enforcement and we regularly review our safety plans."

Following news of the fugitive bank robbers, he said the district implemented a soft lockdown as a precaution, which limits who is allowed into the school and postpones student activities that might take them outside, such as a driver's education course.

On a similar topic, the safety of the district's buildings, the board also approved a list of building improvements required for compliance with the Illinois State Board of Education's Life Health Safety codes.

An architectural firm is required every 10 years to survey district schools and recommend necessary work, said district officials. The list for 2012 is estimated to cost about $2.4 million.

The projects, which vary from installing slip resistant finishes on ramps to installing exit signs, are ranked according to priority, with some to be started within a year, and others not required to be started for 10 years, according to district documents.

Between the required 10-year surveys, Steve Langert, assistant superintendent for business services, said the district regularly does its own evaluation of its facilities. A list of projects approved about three years ago is on schedule to be completed next summer. Then, officials will focus on the new list and earmarking funding to complete it.